The Sirens
The air raid alert goes off.
I have 2 minutes to get to the shelter.
I'm mid-deployment. Pipeline is running.
What do I do?
This is my reality. Working in DevOps from Ukraine during a full-scale war.
This isn't a sob story. This is what resilience actually looks like.
A Typical Tuesday
Here's what my workday actually looks like:
| Time | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 2 AM | Power goes out — scheduled blackout |
| 6 AM | Power returns, start catching up |
| 9 AM | Air raid alert — 40 minutes in shelter |
| 10 AM | Resume work, check pipeline status |
| 2 PM | Client call with California |
| 6 PM | Another alert — 25 minutes |
| 8 PM | Finish deployment, write documentation |
Between all that? Terraform, pipelines, production deployments. Same deliverables as everyone else. Different context.
What I'm NOT Doing
I'm not sharing this for pity. Or special treatment.
I'm sharing this because I'm tired of the "perfect conditions" myth.
The idea that you need:
- A perfect home office
- Uninterrupted focus time
- Stable electricity
- Perfect life balance
...to do great work.
Some of my best architecture decisions were made in bomb shelters.
Necessity is the mother of creativity.
The Systems That Make It Work
I've built systems for chaos. Here's how:
1. Everything Is Async
No process depends on me being online at a specific moment.
- All communication: async-first (Slack, not calls)
- All deployments: automated, can run without me
- All documentation: written, not tribal knowledge
- All decisions: logged in writing
When an alert hits, I can disappear for 40 minutes. Nothing blocks on my presence.
2. Redundant Power
My setup:
- Primary: Grid power (when available)
- Backup 1: Starlink with battery
- Backup 2: Large UPS (4 hours)
- Backup 3: Generator access in building
Internet goes down? I have backups for my backups.
3. Over-Communication
I update clients before they ask.
"Hey, there might be scheduled blackouts in my area tomorrow 2-6 PM. I've front-loaded the critical work. Here's the status..."
Proactive communication builds trust. Reactive communication builds anxiety.
4. Buffer Everything
If I think a task takes 2 hours, I say 4.
Because an alert might hit. Or power might go. Or both.
Under-promise. Over-deliver. Always.
The Unexpected Lesson
Chaos makes you better.
I know this sounds like toxic positivity. It's not. Here's the math:
Focus
When you might have 20 minutes of power, you don't waste time on:
- Meetings that could be emails
- Bikeshedding over code style
- Endless planning without execution
Every minute is precious. You use them wisely.
Efficiency
When every work session might be interrupted:
- You design for resilience
- You automate everything possible
- You document obsessively
My infrastructure is more resilient than most because I LIVE resilience.
Priorities
When real danger exists, you stop caring about:
- Office politics
- Imposter syndrome
- Perfect code
You care about: Does it work? Is it safe? Can I ship?
Creativity
Constraints breed innovation.
Can't access your usual tools? Find another way. Power out? Work from your phone. No internet? Write documentation offline.
I've solved problems in ways I never would have imagined with unlimited resources.
What Companies Are Missing
Some companies see "Ukraine" and think "risk."
I get it. There's uncertainty.
But here's what they're missing:
We're Not Fragile. We're Antifragile.
Engineers who've maintained production through a war are not going to fall apart over a stressful deadline.
We've been stress-tested beyond anything a normal job can throw at us.
Reliability Through Adversity
My uptime during the worst period of the war? 99.2%.
How? Because I built systems assuming things would break. Because I planned for the worst.
That mindset doesn't disappear when things get easier. It makes me better when things are calm.
Work Ethic
When you've worked through blackouts, alerts, and uncertainty... a normal workday feels easy.
The motivation isn't fear. It's gratitude. I get to do work I love. I don't take that for granted.
The Ask
I'm not asking for special treatment.
I'm asking for fair evaluation.
Judge me on my output:
- Do I deliver on time?
- Is my work quality high?
- Do I communicate well?
- Do I solve problems effectively?
If yes, my timezone and location are implementation details.
If a company can't see past geography to see value... that's their loss.
To Other Engineers in Difficult Situations
Maybe you're not in a war zone. But maybe you're:
- Caring for a sick family member
- Dealing with chronic illness
- In a country with infrastructure challenges
- Facing circumstances that make "normal" work difficult
Here's what I've learned:
Build Systems, Not Dependencies
Don't depend on perfect conditions. Build systems that work in imperfect ones.
Communicate Proactively
Don't wait for problems to become crises. Update people before they worry.
Document Everything
Tribal knowledge is fragile. Written documentation survives interruptions.
Find Your Redundancies
Power backup. Internet backup. Mental health backup. Build resilience at every layer.
Your Circumstances Are Context, Not Identity
I'm not "the engineer from the war zone." I'm an engineer who happens to work from a challenging location.
My work speaks for itself.
The Reality Check
Is it hard? Yes.
Do I wish circumstances were different? Of course.
Would I trade this experience? No.
Because this experience taught me things I couldn't learn any other way:
- True resilience
- Creative problem-solving
- What actually matters
- Gratitude for every stable workday
Final Thought
My location is a challenge.
My work ethic is not up for debate.
If you want resilient engineers who've proven they can deliver under ANY circumstances...
We exist. We're working. We're shipping.
Building systems that survive chaos. Because I live it.